Liquid Biopsy for Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer Using Circular RNA
City of Hope Medical Center
Summary
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. This study aims to develop a non-invasive liquid biopsy assay using plasma-derived cell-free circular RNAs (cf-circRNAs) for early and accurate detection of colorectal cancer.
Description
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite the proven benefit of screening colonoscopy, its invasive nature, high cost, and low adherence rates limit its use for population-level early detection. Current non-invasive screening tools, such as fecal occult blood testing and stool DNA assays, offer limited sensitivity, particularly for early-stage or right-sided colorectal tumors. Therefore, there is a growing clinical need for a highly sensitive, minimally invasive, and patient-compliant diagnostic appr…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults (≥18 years old) * Histologically confirmed colorectal cancer (Stage I-III) * Availability of pre-treatment plasma samples * Written informed consent provided Exclusion Criteria: * History of other active malignancies within the past 5 years * Poor sample quality or hemolysis * Inability to provide informed consent
Interventions
- Diagnostic Testcf-circRNA assay
Circular RNA detection in plasma or serum by RT-qPCR
Location
- City of Hope Medical CenterDuarte, California